174 OLD CIVILIZATIONS OF THE NEW WORLD
ology contained a vast number of gods and goddesses
with innumerable lesser deities and sacred heroes. In
fact, the number of their gods was so great that sci-
entists adopted the system of numbering them rather
than attempting to classify all by name. Moreover,
to add to the confusion^ many of the deities bore two
or more names and were gods or goddesses of two or
more matters.
The rituals provided for a certain amount of can-
nibalism5 for many human sacrifices, and for cold-
blooded cruelty, while at the same time there were
baptisms, confessions* consubstantiation,, etc. In
many ways the Aztec religion was superior to that of
either the Greeks or Romans* and at the time of the
Spanish conquest it was rapidly evolving into a wor-
ship of one supreme god. This was the air-god
(Tezcatllpoca) also known as the "Fiery-Mirror,"
the Aztecan Jupiter, who carried a polished shield in
which he was supposed to see all the actions and deeds
of mankind.
The Aztecs believed in eternity as regards the soul,
but with eons or epochs, each of which was dependent
on the sun. At the close of every four "suns" or
epochs, the world was supposed to meet with disaster;
the exact nature of each being recorded and foretold.
To enumerate and describe even a small proportion
of the Aztec deities would require a volume in itself,
and it is possible to mention only a few of the more
important and interesting of their gods and goddes-
ses. As I have said, the Aztec religion at the time
of the Spanish conquest was tending toward the wor-
ship of one supreme god; but the deity Tezcatlipoca,
who was apparently destined to become the Divinity,